The success of an organization depends on the extent to which the various organs within the company work in coordination with the main of achieving the core organizational goals and objectives (Cohen, 2008). One of the most crucial parts of an organization is the human resource fraternity. The workforce plays a crucial role in ensuring a flow in the day to day processes which happen within the company. The extent of production, sales, marketing and the overall return on investment largely depends on the level of output given by the human resource department (Collings and Wood, 2009). However, due to the fact that organizations employ individuals from different cultural backgrounds, there are various challenges which stem from a human resource fraternity characterized by a cross cultural environment. Through this annotation, the paper seeks to highlight some of the issues which arise from a cross cultural merger or acquisition.
In this article, Bakker and Demerouti use the simplest of statements to outline to the readers the various elements that involve the formation of mergers and acquisitions. As noted by the authors. Mergers involve the fusion of two or more organizations with the main aim of sharing the costs of production and consequently the return on investment gained from this venture. Through a qualitative analysis of various organizations, the authors deduce that merging organizations almost inevitably lead to the establishment of cross cultural organizations. They attach the diversity in cultures to the fact that different organizations operate with unique organizational cultures and values. When the two come together, the cultures are likely to adjust which leads to a breakdown in communication. This article is relevant to the topical issues since the authors use simple arguments to adequately highlight the consequences that accompany the merging of companies. In a nut shell, mergers lead to diverse cultures brought together which when not adequately managed may lead to breakdown in communication.
The article presents the process of merging as a crucial strategy which makes work more meaningful. According to the author, mergers increase the depth of the human resource fraternity hence an organization has a vast number of qualified personnel in various fields which in turn improve work output. The author however indicates that mergers and acquisitions are always accompanied by a number of impediments. For instance such approaches in management lead to the establishment of a highly cross cultural environment. As noted by Chalofsky, one of the common challenges of a cross cultural environment is lack of an effective flow in communication due to the variations in backgrounds.
The article is informative and the author’s arrangement of the main facts enables the reader to easily flow along the thematic flow. It would serve as a crucial reading for a researcher seeking to establish the various issues which arise in a cross cultural environment.
The article highlights the vital role of strong relations in ensuring effective organizational performance. The authors create a crucial link between good relations at work and an escalation in work output coupled by high motivational levels. As pointed out by the authors, a cross cultural work environment may hinder effective performance especially when the associated aspects are not adequately addressed. Differences in class, level of knowledge, age and qualifications are highlighted as the main characteristics of a cross cultural merger. In such situations, finding a common ground in managing the people is quite challenging which slows decision crucial processes such as decision making.
The authors’ use of existing organizations as examples offers strong support to the arguments hence making the information both reliable and valid. The article is therefore a worthy inclusion in this list due to its highly informative contents with respect to the research study.
The book involves an in depth analysis of the effects of inequality not only in the job environment but also in the society as a whole. The authors are keen to note that merging organizations is one of the leading causes of diversity in organizations. They point out the variations in backgrounds as the core causes of differences between people in a work environment. The book highlights low confidence and motivational levels as some of the challenges which are associated with a cross cultural environment. In case of the existence and dominance of a culturally superior group in the organization, the workers from the minor cultures may lack the confidence which is crucial for workers to give themselves holistically to the organization’s goals and objectives.
Despite the voluminous nature of the book, the authors’ use of simple language to structure the arguments makes it easy to deduce the main points. The book does well in pointing out some of the issues which arise from cross-cultural organizations especially in the case of mergers or acquisitions.
The book offers the readers a good exposure on the benefits of working in a closely knit society. In addition to identifying the issues related to cross-cultural work environments, the authors suggest some of the practical strategies which could be implemented by managers to find long lasting solutions. The book discusses the importance of acquisitions in addition to profiling some of the challenges which accompany such managerial approaches. When an organization acquires another company whose operations and culture run along totally unique paths, it becomes quite a challenge for the larger company to settle on a common managerial strategy. The lengthy period of transition caused by the presence of a culturally diverse workforce may be costly to the organization. The authors therefore suggest effective managerial procedures aimed at controlling the effects of cultural diversity in an organizational environment.
The book is not only informative but also easy to read. The authors base their arguments on extensive research which offers the readers a variety of points to take home.
Purcell in this interesting article points out the aspect of disunity as the main impediment likely to arise in a cross cultural merger. The author notes that merging companies expand its market scope but comes with various challenges which require the necessary managerial attention. He points out that the cultural differences among the people within the organization are likely to lead to the formation of unhealthy factions. As summarized by the author, the workers may join these factions based on shared beliefs, values and embrace of particular cultures, when such factions choose to operate contrary to the company values, mission and objectives, the general worker output within the merge is likely to be affected.
The article is an effective reading as it offers the readers a better understanding on the issue of managing people within a diverse environment. Since the research topic involves highlighting the issues that arise due to cross-cultural mergers, it can be deduced that Purcell’s arguments are helpful in elevating the topic of study.
This article acts as a crucial eye opener to would be managers as it relates managerial strategies to job performance. The authors highlight the need for managers to point out the main causes of job dissatisfaction and low motivational levels before embarking on the necessary adjustments. From the article, it can be deduced that cross-cultural work environments may lead to unhealthy competitions, for power, authority and recognition. In case such happenings are not put under the right control, the performance of the workers is likely to be affected. The authors therefore suggest worker empowerment, staff training and social activities within the organization as a means of enhancing unity and cohesion within the organization.
The article adequately supports the topic of study by pointing out some of the issues that could be attributed to a cross cultural work environment. The authors give an appropriate summary by suggesting some of the possible solutions.
The authors offer rather different impact of cross cultural work environments. According to the authors, when the various cultures within the human resource fraternity are carefully harnessed, the organization is likely to come up with a workforce that is rich in both knowledge and experience. This is because through diversity, knowledge can be easily managed, disseminated and eventually applied for the greater good of the organization. The authors reveal that workplace diversity is not necessarily a disadvantage but an inevitable situation which when managed correctly leads to good organizational performance.
The book is both entertaining and information. The authors’ discussions adequately illuminate the topic of discussion hence allowing the reader to deduce as much as possible
Conclusion:
Despite the fact merging companies has its own advantages; the diversity issues which arise from this process equally require the right managerial counter steps. A cross-cultural environment may lead to poor communication, misunderstanding, disunity, low motivational levels and a slowdown in crucial processes such as decision making (Richman, 2006). However, a cross cultural environment can be made an organization’s strong point through the establishment of efficient management structure which deduce the best out of each individual irrespective of their cultural backgrounds. Consequently, the managers ought to put in place the right strategies not necessarily meant to do away with cultural diversity but approaches aimed at managing the different types of people to enhance the collective achievement of the organization’s goals and objectives.
References:
Bakker, A. and Demerouti, E. (2007) ‘The jobs-demands resources model: State of the art’.
Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22, pp. 309-328.
Bakker, A. and Demerouti, E. (2008) ‘Towards a model of work engagement’. Career
Development International, 13, pp. 209-223.
Chalofsky, N. (2007) ‘An emerging construct for meaningful work’. Human Resource
Development International, 6, pp. 69-83.
Christian, M. and Slaughter, J. (2011) ‘Work engagement: A quantitative
Review and test of its relations with task and contextual performance’. Personnel Psychology,
64, pp. 89-136.
Cohen, M. (2008) ‘Productivity and Efficiency in Human Service Organizations as related to
Structure, size and Age’. The Academy of Management Journal, 23(1), pp. 21–37.
Collings, D. and Wood, G. (2009) Human resource management: London: Routledge.
Jeff, M and Michael, S. (2009) Inequality and Society: Social Science Perspectives on Social Stratification. New York: W.W. Norton.
Richard, W and Kate, P. (2009) The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger. London: Bloomsbury Press.
Purcell, J. (2014) ‘Disengaging from engagement’. Human Resource Management Journal, 24,
Rich, B., Lepine, J. and Crawford, E. (2010) ‘Job engagement: Antecedents and effects
on job performance’. The Academy of Management Journal, 53, pp. 617-635.
Richman, A. (2006) ‘Everyone wants an engaged workforce how can you create it?’ Workspan,
49, pp. 36-39.
Trice, H. and Beyer, J. M. (2009) The culture of work organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
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